CAST IRON BANKS

CAST IRON STILL BANKS:—After 1860 tin banks gradually came to be replaced by banks of cast iron. This material made for sturdier banks, and also, owing to its greater tractability, could be produced in a greater variety of interesting shapes. Patterns portrayed not only houses, but birds, human beings, and animals as well. Historic objects such as the Liberty Bell and Bunker Hill Monument were made in the form of banks. As indicated in the illustration, these banks were usually made of two pieces of metal, bolted together. To get the money out it was not necessary to break the bank. All that had to be done was to unscrew the bolt. As this was not a job for the child, the parent was assured of being able to watch over the distribution as well as the acquisition of pennies.

Most of the "still" cast iron banks now available were made in the late 19th century and the early 20th century, but a few antidate the mechanical variety of cast iron bank. As none of these were patented, it is hard to trace their history and place of origin. The Safe Bank, in which money is removed only by working a combination of the door appeared around 1895; it was popular well into the 1920's. In the 20th century patents have been taken out for adding sound to still coin receptacles. Few of these have seen the market, nor are banks which light up or ring bells upon deposit of the coin frequently found.

MECHANICAL BANKS:—The mechanical banks of the 19th century represent the union of two fundamental traits of the American Yankee, his thrift and his ingenuity. In the medium of cast iron there appeared after 1870 a host of action toys which could be operated properly only by insertion of a penny. The purpose which lay behind these elaborate coin receptacles was that children could be lured into the habit of thrift by their curiosity to see the thing work. It is said that the sugarcoated method of saving appealed to children; at any rate it did to their parents, who bought these mechanical banks in large quantities. Designers vied with each other in the creation of new and startling effects, until in some the depositing of the coin became but a minor consideration to the feats of movement performed by the cast iron figures of men and animals which overlay the coin receptacle. The subjects of many such banks appealed as much to adults as to children. They became another example of the outpouring of popular art, along with Cigar Store Indians and Rogers Groups. In this unsophisticated art which appeared in the late 19th century, one can detect that handicraft of real craftsmen coupled for the first time with the machinery of mass production.

What is the oldest mechanical bank? Some persons, on the questionable authority of personal reminiscence, say that the Uncle Sam Bank appeared in the 1850's. This was indeed a popular early bank and several companies showed it in their 1870 catalogs; and if we are to accept the evidence of patent files, the lever system which is basic to this bank was not developed until the 70's. The first mechanical bank to be patented (and the great majority were designed so as to be protected by patent) is ordinarily not to be thought of as being in this class. It is a house Bank called Hall's Excelsior, and it makes no use of the elaborate lever, spring and clockwork arrangements which are characteristic of the later varieties. The patent (number, 98055) was taken out by John Hall, of Watertown, Mass. on Dec. 21, 1869. The patent feature includes a simple balance mechanism located in the roof of the cast iron house, so arranged that when a cupola hatchway is lifted, there is revealed a small figure standing behind a desk. The weight of a penny, placed on the desk causes the figure (and penny) to tip forward into the bank and the cupola hatchway is then closed. Hall made a large number of these banks and they were widely distributed throughout the country. However, we have never seen any in which the man figure (like the patent) was used. Instead there is a tiny monkey, and in some of the later ones, the balance hatchway is pulled shut by an attached spring. This was perhaps added to compensate for the lighter weight of the later one cent-pieces. Hall perfected and made a number of other early mechanical banks, including the bank variously called "Fat Man," "Boss Tweed," or "Tammany Bank." His work does not appear after 1880.

J.H. Bowan of Philadelphia was one of the most ingenious and prolific designers of mechanical banks. To him are credited such well known banks as Credmore, Kicking Mule, Bulldog, and Monkey and Coaconut. Apparently he made his model, and often the casting dies, and then sold these to some manufacturing company, such as the Stevens Company of Cromwell, Connecticut.

Other famous designers were F. Frisbee who appears always to have been associated with the Stevens Company, and G. G. Shepard of Buffalo, New York, who designed and marketed the Jolly Nigger coin-swallowing banks and a number of other related types. Not all banks which were patented appear to have been made, and not all banks in existence can be traced to patent sources. Many banks used the same mechanical principles; this is illustrated by the variants made from the basic Credmore design. The original of this bank was produced by the Stevens company in 1877. The second variety was the Tyrolian (1877), then came the Grenadier (1878), Volunteer (1880), Indian and the Bear (1888), William Tell (1896), Lion Hunter (1900), Teddy and the Bear (1902).

The company most active in mechanical bank production was the J. & E. Stevens Co. of Cromwell, Connecticut. This iron foundry in 1870 was the first to make moving parts for juggling the penny. Within a few years they were offering no less than 21 distinct patterns for the trade. Their banks are distinguished by patented coin traps. Kingsbury of Keene, New Hampshire, Hubley of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Enterprise of Philadelphia, and Shepard of Buffalo and Kenton, Ohio, are other famous makers. Old trade catalogs, which are hard to find, are the surest way of identifying the maker. Few banks are marked by the maker; many times, where they could chance it, several different companies would copy the successful bank of a competitor. Banks were usually made to retail from $1.00 to $2.00, with $4.50 as a top price for a few of the more complicated action toys, such as the Freedman's Bank.

Little has been written about the actual construction of mechanical toy banks, but one famous designer, Bowen, has left this record of his creations in a letter to the Philadelphia Times of 1885.

" 'the 'Creedmor' bank was the first I made,' said the bank maker. 'That was followed by the Kicking Mule, the Bulldog and others. I am now at work upon a more complicated toy bank. The first bronze casting has just come in. We are now chasing it and filing down all the rough edges, and making all the joints work easily. I first of all make a solid model of the figure in specially prepared ways. From this I take a plaster of paris mold in two halves. Then I make two hollow models of the figure in wax from these molds. The next thing is to separate from the complete models the parts which are intended to be movable. Before me I have the left fore-arm and hand of a monkey, holding up a piece of cocoanut shell, the thumb of the right hand, the lower jaw, the eyes and the tail which, when the toy is complete, will act in conjunction with a spring on the inside. These parts being removed, I have to make a fresh model in wax of every part, with an end or joint attached to them. They are then sent to the brass foundry to be cast in bronze. The whole figure has to be made complete and working in wax before it goes to the foundry. When they come back some of the pieces are very rough and need a great deal of filing and chasing to make them fit and move easily. You see, the model in bronze that I make is the foundation from which all the banks are eventually to be made, and unless my model works perfectly there will be no end of complaints when it goes eventually to the iron foundry, where the marketable toys are turned out.' "

The above comment was written in the heyday of the mechanical bank, when its production was 'news'. There were over 30 patents issued for the year 1880 alone. From the date of 1885 onward, a gradual deterioration of the bank took place. It became more elaborate, less interesting, and not in great demand. The last of the mechanical banks appears to have been advertised around 1908, so that the total span in not much more than 35 years.

CLASSIFICATION OF MECHANICAL BANKS:—The distinctive character of mechanical banks has provided a unique field for the collector, over 300 having been made. Each bank can be given a distinctive name and its variants can be gradually tracked down. To one who is not interested in providing a mere check list, several means of classification as to type may be used. One is according to mechanical action; but most banks are lever and spring operated, and only a few can be placed in the other class of clockwork operation. Another suggested classification is according to rarity, but as the question of rarity bears no relation to age or action type this would not be especially fruitful. A classification that is fairly common with collectors rests upon the object or central idea of a bank. Upon such a basis one may discern the following types; Negroes, Bank Tellers, Symbolic Figures, Caricatures, Animals, Carnival Themes, and Memorial Banks. Famous caricature banks included the Tammany or Boss Tweed bank, and the General Butler bank, which portrayed the presidential candidate of the 1884 Greenback Party as a monstrous frog. The animal and carnival theme banks show on the whole the greatest diversity of treatment. Several memorial banks were issued at the time of the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia, and also for the Columbus and Pan-American Expositions which followed.

Another and final method of classification is according to age; and this we have followed due to our interest in the chronological development of toys. We may group banks roughly in four decades (1) those of the 1870's when the mechanical bank was new, (2) those of the 1880's when the bank was generally popular and (3) those of the 1890's and (4) those of the 1900's when the bank had begun its decline in popular favor.

On the opposite page we have shown mechanical banks typical of the 1870's; during this period the bank was at its best from a child's standpoint. Simple in design, without superfluous ornament, they all make obvious appeal to use of penny. The little Fat Man puts his penny in his pocket. Uncle Sam puts his in his valise. The Mother Eagle bends forward and feeds the penny to her young, and the Soldier shoots his penny from a cannon into the fort-like safe.

The banks of the 1880's are typified by six examples from the page of a jobbers catalog of that period. It will be noticed that animal figures are beginning to come more into prominence and that the choice of subject is not quite as good as in the preceding decade. Already, in their desire to put out something new, the bank makers were beginning to take second best ideas, coupled with more complex action. Consider the Bull Dog bank! Instructions are, "place money on his nose, pull tail down and then release, causing three distinct movements—head pulled backward, jaws open and money drops in; after this swallowing of food placed on his nose, release of the tail pulls the head back in original position ready for another feeding." In Paddy and His Pig, the penny is placed on the pig's nose and a lever is pulled. Thereupon Paddy's eyes roll back, his mouth opens and his tongue licks the penny from the pig's nose. In the "Cabin" bank, movement of the whitewash brush causes the negro to stand on his head and kick the coin into the cabin. The Mirror Multiplier Bank has no special mechanical action, but depends for its appeal upon the optical effect. The Novelty Bank is such that when the penny is given to the teller and a lever is pulled, the door closes and one may observe through the window the passage of the teller to a place of deposit. The Frog on Stump bank performs a simple swallowing movement.

Typical banks of the 1890's include the Boy and Trapese, the William Tell, 'Spise the Mule and Speaking Dog. In the William Tell bank the penny serves as shot for knocking the proverbial apple from the child's head. While this bank appeared in the 90's a similar type of shooting bank (Credmore) had been introduced in an earlier decade. In the Speaking Dog and Mule Banks, the action for depositing the coin is still fairly direct and simple and would undoubtedly delight a child. Also illustrated is the Chinese Beggar, a contemporary bank of papier mache whose head nods when the penny is inserted. This typifies the German attempt to compete for the American market. That it did not succeed is shown by the fact that this foreign bank is a rarity in America.

After 1900, banks became primarily mechanical toys in which the saving element was very minor. A glance at the page from a manufacturers 1906 catalog indicates the over elaborate decoration which also characterized the period. Many of these late mechanical banks were nickel plated, lacking the naive charm of the earlier cast iron banks with their brightly painted exteriors. The Jumping Rope bank, pictured here, is the ultimate of something or other. In their description of the bank, the makers say, "in manufacturing this bank the aim has been to produce a prolonged and continuous performance of its amusing features without the aid of an expensive mechanism. This has been accomplished by inventing a simple, strong, durable spring motor. The simulation of "skipping rope" is perfect. The body, head, feet, and rope all moving in unison, but each part performs independently its own peculiar and appropriate manner." One looks for some time before finding the coin slit! In fact, this toy could be enjoyed without any penny saving. These late banks apparently were not made in any quantity and some may never have passed the sample stage.

Assignment of causes for the disappearance of mechanical banks is very difficult. One may have been the greater popularity of combination safe banks which originated in the late nineties. Another possible cause lies in the fact that the schools developed special savings plans and that money was deposited there. Again, banks and trust companies got out their own little satchel-like safes which could be opened only at the Teller's window. All these undoubtedly contributed to the decay of a toy and an industry naturally destined to be ephemeral. All possible new varieties and gadgets were exhausted before mechanical banks disappeared. Looking over the types remaining, we wonder that the moving parts could have jiggled the penny in so many amazing ways before it was swallowed.

RARITY IN MECHANICAL BANKS:—Although only 70 years old at the most, mechanical banks have already become a valued collectors' item. Banks which formerly sold at a dollar or two may command as much as $100.00. Curiously enough, it is the newest, rather than the oldest mechanical banks which sometimes bring these stupendous prices. Rarity is a function of the number available and this is not necessarily coupled with age. It happens in the bank field that many of the early banks were very popular and widely sold. Being made of cast iron, they also endured better than more fragile types of toys. As a result such banks as the Tammany, Cannon, and Eagle are in the commonest class. Hall's Excelsior, the oldest of them all, can still be had for around $2.00 and lacks takers. On the other hand most banks of the 1880 and 1890 periods bring distinctly better prices, some up to $35.00. But for the rarest of all banks there exists only one specimen, probably a sample.

To understand this condition of affairs, by which such a bank would bring a fabulous price, we have to understand bank collectors. These are relatively few and they vie among themselves in the race to see who can have something not possessed by another. Many of these collectors are bankers, or executives of large corporations, such as the late Walter P. Chrysler. It is not uncommon for a dealer, upon finding a rare bank, to offer it to several such men for competitive bidding. These men are not concerned whether the bank was popular with children or not. They are intrigued by its uniqueness and individual action.

On the whole, rare banks are both newer and more elaborate than the common varieties. The Harlequin bank is a good example of a rare bank. Although only a little over 30 years old, its clever design, interesting action, and scarcity make it both the joy and the despair of bank collectors. It first appears in a fly leaf of a 1906 catalog, although a similar action was patented in 1887. The Merry-go-round is also a very good bank, though not quite as rare as the Harlequin and of slightly earlier vintage. Bank action is seen at its most complex in Professor Pug Frog's Great Bicycle Feat. Releasing a spring causes the frog to make two complete somersaults before depositing the coin in the basket held by the clown. Related actions are the spring of the wheel and the throwing of the music rack into the face of Mother Goose, causing her tongue to wag.

About seventy-five percent of the surviving production of mechanical banks is now in the hands of some ten or twelve outstanding collectors. All of these collections are quite valuable and the addition of new collectors searching for the rarer items continually drives the value upward. Who would have thought that a plaything like the mechanical bank would attain such importance as to be placed in the cabinets of connoisseurs. The mechanical bank is the first toy outside the doll to have reached this estate. Perhaps it is because of its true American flavor that the bank has had so many enthusiastic friends among the collecting public. One can now estimate what will happen as the collection of other toy types becomes widespread.

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